Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-16
4 REAL DIME NovH HERO.
How a Consumptive Badit Robbed
stages single Hnded.
From he Denper ReN6lioqn.

From the Detper RetblicGn.
The Republican recently contained a
special from Pueblo which announced
that S'the lawyers have made use of the
Supreme Court decision IN the inyalidity
of criminal convictions F information TO
obtain the release of hamilton White,
alias Burton, from theFederal peniten-
tiary at Albany, N. u, where he was
serving life sentence Tor stage and mali
robbery in Colorado
The crime of White,or Burton, although
il occurred at a time when stage rob-
heries and hOld-ups were OF common
occurrence in Colorado, was so bold and
daring in character that 1t occasioned
great excitement and comment all over
The country. The whole career of the
robber shows him to be desperate Of
the most pronounced type. June %,
1881. the stage running between Lake
City and Alamosa was making the trip to
the latter place with fourteen passengers,
Intending one lady. About midnight the
stage had reached point about nine
miles west of Alamosa. Suddenly the
cry of ''hsltw. was heard.
'sFor Gods sake, don't shootW ex-
claimed the driver.
out Of the darkness appeared the form
of a man with masked face and cooked
revolver. InscOurteous tones he request
ed the passengers to alight and be reliev-
ed of any superfiuities on their persons.
Across the road heavy branch had been
4 placed, and on this hung large piece Of
canvas. From behind the canvas num-
Il Der of dark objects strongly resem bling
rite-barrels were pointed at the coach.
Don't shoot, boys" the highwayman
called out 10 the darkness behind the
canvas; these people are all right"
He then proceeded to blindfoid the pas
sengers and to reap harvest OF about
g. 900, including the mail sack, contain
~ several registered letters, calling
every now and then to the supposed force
behind the canvas. HIS work done, he
4 bade the passengers "good nighp' and
disappeared.
The news of the robbery caused crest
excitement. particularly after IL was ds-
covered that the man had been entir,ly
unaided in his attack on the fourteen Ias-
sengers, an Investigation showing that
the supposed rifle-barrels behind thecan-
vas were only a collection of drieG and
4 blackened sticks. To show more plainly
yet the daring of the man he was O slight
build and cOnsumptive. His right hand
was crippled, and ne was lame in one
leg. Yet ne had overpowered thirteen
male passengers, including a number OF
1 treighters by his cOnsummate GOODNESS
and daring in carrying out his ruse:
The written description of the roboer
given to the police was as follows: "Name
he goes by, II. NJ. Burton; lame right
q hand, long sandy hair and sandy NOUS
tache, light complexion, blue eyes, feet
DO inches in height"
By this description the robber was ar
rested in Pueblo the day following the
Iold-up by City Marshal Desmond. The
after Immediately telegraphed the fact
bf the arrest to the post office officials in
Denver, and was instructed to bring the
prisoner to this city.
July / the Marshal with his charge
Started for Denver. Realizing that he had
10 custody desperate man, Mr.. Desmond
id not leave his side until the train was
speeding down this side of the Divide,
outh OF Castle Rock. He then rose for a
lass of water.
Burton made rush for the door. The
rain was moving at the rate of twenty
We miles per hour. Desmond made
utch at the escaping prisoner, but
as 100 late. Burton plunged on his
boulder onto the ties, his head falling
III few inches from the rails. He rose
nd made off over the prairie.
Desmond and a number of the passen-
ers followed in hot pursuit, but it was
ot until Desmond fired a. shot which
razed the robbers head that the latter
anne to halt. 1t was then found that
his flight be had taken DesmUnd's va
Pc with HIM, expecting, as he afterward
Rplained, TO md revolver in 1t. He
20 10 some way managed to draw one
and out Of his manacles.
7 burton was then taken to the county
In Denver. While there he had a
nVersatlon with l.. G. Carpenter,
eGiai post office agent, regarding his
al, hr. Carpenter told him that if he
ould confess ne would be tried in Dem
before Judge HalletU. He told him
az mat would probably mean life
htence. If he did not confess be would
TAKEN TO the vicinity of his crime and
ooaoly be lyncned by the citizens. The !
'soher refused TO confess, saying that |
would In any event prefer danger of !
. ng yncned to surety of life imprison-
hI' Meantime stories of his past life |
i gan 10 be circulated. 1t appeared that |
was at the time of his arrest under in
'hehI Tor murder in Texas, and also |
roDDlng stage coaches.
I've years previous he had been sent to |
pehltentary for robbing stage |
|. Ul, ana about six months previous to |
= "9senV INTO Colorado had been par |
"a OUT by President Hayes. Between |
!. ume OF his pardon and the stage rob- |
III LUIS state he had been putting in |
E's 1tno committing a murder ard rob- |
n tnree or four stage coaches.
u nau hXec methods in his exploits |
a' 10 tnOse used in his Colorado feat, |
v i"ays went alone and usually en- |
!eu tne ruse of pretending that he had |
o g Vi armed accomplices In the back |
: nu. lie was noted for his chivalry. |
eI IooOlng the ladies, and treating ali |
~~ PASSENGERS with courtesy and polite |
Nhlle he was robbing the Alamosa |
W. que Oi the passengers begged for |
q e5 70 puy drink when he reached |
III Sos a. with grim humor the robber |
If. rn 0ooahe apparent that White was a |
~ PI auO oil the most pronounced kind. |
D, ny ny was guarded with the utmost care |
s MS sojourn in the county iail in
M we In the course Of a few months
Nd SS laKen to Pueblo for trial.
ains MS trial there he was confined
Or;o lily Jall, and made himself again
oRt s,a ous ny another daring and des-
~ rs,;o steihpt to escape. He tried his
~ on Deputy United States Mar
IN, IN Oantrill, but the latter was at
!. "a I'M" Ien shartlng under the fact that
w hal Lehoy' another stage robber, had
~ Eo ron n, MN on the Kansas Pacific.
:. vos V ~ wallace, a few days before.
h" 700 gamy for Mr.. White.
ana S scheme in this case showed the
Eac,a. lug ana cunning which always
, a So, 'ized him. He had in some man
ed ~ noiu oil some tinfoil. This he
~ MS hands to the form of "A ra